London’s Brick Lane has replaced Camden High Street as the treasure chest for vintage jewels. Today I found the Williamsburg equivalent. Beacon’s Closet on North 11th Street is home to more vintage fashion than anyone could want. It even has the same music, similar layout and even shop assistants’ with the same facial expressions as Brick Lane’s Beyond Retro. Walking down the industrial looking road, the pink exterior welcomes shoppers into a cove covered with posters, mannequins with retro wigs and displays many bags, clothes, shoes, and sunglasses too.
What I love most about this store is that it clothes as many guys as well as dolls. The store is literary over-run with people all with their own style; very much like the art school kids of brick lane, but with a Brooklyn twist and none of the Topshop robots that London is known for. The clothes are even colour co-ordinated to make it that much easier for us, as anyone that shops vintage knows, it can be difficult to find that perfect top in your size.
I have been searching high and low for a vintage denim shirt that not only is cheap but most importantly fits, and without even being in the store for five minutes I find a Pepe London denim shirt in my size for only $15! A pair of maroon ankle boots for $30 also had my name on them, so after finding both items in my size I had to quickly leave the store before spending too much money. A problem I am sure, many Beacon Closet shoppers have.
There’s nothing like radio to connect people to people, people to places, people to music, and all that’s happening out there. Two Greenpoint entrepreneurs talk about their new streaming internet radio stations—Radio Free Brooklyn and Newtown Radio—and their growing audiences.
